David K. Barton, The 1993 Moscow Airshow, Special Report
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I SPECIAL REPORT i +,-) ) ^$lAvE,to) *-"/Xlr<1-wu I nLYtEttEu I .KVJ'A v/r -v r\- (ratr . r GNr' The 1993 Moscow AirShow DavidK. Barton Editor's note: Ihis special report is the re- sult of a visit by the author to the Moscow 1993 Air Show, which was held from Au- gust 31 to September 5, 1993. The show was held at the military airfield near Ra- menskoye, 50 km east of Moscow. The au- thor was accompanied by Drs. Alexander Leonov and Sergey Leonov and by Prof. Alexander A. Lemansky, scientific director of Scientific lndustrial Corp., ALMAZ, a manufacturer of radar equipment based in Moscow. His invitation was issued on be- half of the Airshow Organizing Committee by A. Systzov, vice president of AO AVI- APROM, a joint stock company headquar- tered in Moscow. The material contained in this special report is similar to photos and descriptions in classified documents, but this is the first time such photos and de- scriptions have been available to a general audience. The four-color photos of equip- ment described in the report appear as a three-pagephoto exposition. Introduction The 1993Moscow Air Show in- cluded an extensive displayof Russian radarsand tactical mis- siles, including the SA-10, SA-12 and SA-15 surface-to-air missile systemsand their radars, a dual gun-missile antiaircraft system, a phased-array radar for location of hostile artillery positions, and nu- merous air-launched missiles, as well as the aircraft on display. This article discusses the exhibited ra- dar and related equipment. S300PMU (SA-10) System At the equipment display, the SA-10equipment was toured. The fire controlradar (NATOdesigna- tion Flap Lid)and the operating po- sitions in the command post vehicle were exhibited. Data from the three-dimensional surveillance ra- dar (Big Bird) were displayed in the vehicle. The horizon searchradar (ClamShell) was not on display. Figure 1 shows the Flap Lidvehicle. Big Bird Three-Dimensional Surveillance Radar The mobile Big Bird on display, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, is 24 mounted on an eight-wheeled trail- er pulledby a large prime mover. The antennais an S-bandspace- fed transmission lens array,fed from both sides by feed horns mounted on a beam passing across the top of the aftay. The ar- ray contains 3400 elements and appears to fold for transport along vertical linesparallel to the sidesof the equipment shelter. The ele- ments are matchedto space with what appearto be elongated di- electric barsthat are tiltedupwards to optimize performance at angles above the horizontal. The search beams, scanning electronically in elevation, leadthe arraybroadside by 30' in azimuth. When a target is detected in a searchbeam, after a further29" rotation of the antenna,a back- scan is initiated in azimuth to place a validation beam on the elevation and azimuth of the initial detection. lf the detection is repeated in this validation beam, another backscan occurs 180"later in the scan, using the feed horn on the opposite side of the array. Thus,within210' of rotation following the initial detec- tion, a validation and a second track point are obtained to initiate the track file. From this point on, the trackdata rateis two points per antennarotation. The cost of this two-coordinate scanning arraymay be higher than most Western sys- tems, but the advantages in rapid track initiation and doubleddata rateare significant. CommandPost Within the Command Post (CP) were five display positions, plus positions for communications per- sonnel. The commander's console was the center of the iive con- soles, whichwere almost identical. Eachconsole had a large plan po- sitioner indicator (PPl)displaying synthetic video from the Big Bird and from external sources, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. To the left of the PPI is an alphanumeric displayon which appearthe data for up to 36 targets. They are as- signed (six each) to the six Flap Lids that may be controlled by the CP. To the commander's left, the two positions are occupied by offi- cers who actually fire the missiles. To the right are officers who coor- dinate with higher headquarters or adjacent CPs, who accept assign- ments of targets to be passed by the commander to the Flap Lids in priority order, and who evaluate targetsdetectedlocallyby Big Bird.The small displays at these positions can be set to provide az- imuth-elevation (BE) displays of Big Birdvideo, intensity modulated to show target elevation. The Big Bird data appearon the PPI dis- play as an intensified sweep, leav- ing behindtarget markers with al- phanumeric tags, which are re- freshed at a high rate. Fire Control RadarS300PMU1 (Flap Lid) The Flap Lid radar tracks up to six targets that have been assigned by the CP for engagement. The ar- ray is an X-bandspace-fed lens of 10,000 elements, tilted 30' fromthe vertical, as shownin Figures 6 and 7. The active portion of the array is circular, and small sidelobe cancel- er arrays are within the plastic cov- er at the bottomof the main array. The array is mountedon a rotat- able turret behind the cab of the ve- hicle and in front of the fixed equip- ment shelter. The RF and lF equipment is mounted within the turret, eliminat- ing rotary joints and long runs of waveguide or coaxialcable for re- ceiver signals. The feed, shown in [Photo Exposition begins on page26] [Text continued on page30] MICROWAVE JOURNAL . MAY1994
Transcript of David K. Barton, The 1993 Moscow Airshow, Special Report
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S P E C I A L R E P O R T
i + , - ) )^$lAvE,to)
*-"/Xlr<1-wuI n L Y t E t t E u I
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(ratr . r GNr'The 1993Moscow Air Show
David K. Barton
Editor's note: Ihis special report is the re-sult of a visit by the author to the Moscow1993 Air Show, which was held from Au-gust 31 to September 5, 1993. The showwas held at the military airfield near Ra-menskoye, 50 km east of Moscow. The au-thor was accompanied by Drs. AlexanderLeonov and Sergey Leonov and by Prof.Alexander A. Lemansky, scientific directorof Scientific lndustrial Corp., ALMAZ, amanufacturer of radar equipment based inMoscow. His invitation was issued on be-half of the Airshow Organizing Committeeby A. Systzov, vice president of AO AVI-APROM, a joint stock company headquar-tered in Moscow. The material contained inthis special report is similar to photos anddescriptions in classified documents, butthis is the first time such photos and de-scriptions have been available to a generalaudience. The four-color photos of equip-ment described in the report appear as athree-page photo exposition.
IntroductionThe 1993 Moscow Air Show in-
c l u d e d a n e x t e n s i v e d i s p l a y o fRussian radars and tact ica l mis-s i l es , i nc lud ing the SA-10 , SA-12and SA-15 su r face- to -a i r m iss i lesystems and thei r radars, a dualgun-miss i le ant ia i rcraf t system, aphased-array radar for location ofhost i le ar t i l lery posi t ions, and nu-merous a i r - l aunched miss i les , aswell as the aircraft on display. Thisart icle discusses the exhibited ra-dar and related equipment.
S300PMU (SA-10) SystemAt the equ ipment d i sp lay , the
SA-10 equipment was toured. Thefire control radar (NATO designa-tion Flap Lid) and the operating po-sit ions in the command post vehiclew e r e e x h i b i t e d . D a t a f r o m t h ethree-d imensional survei l lance ra-dar (Big Bird) were displayed in thevehicle. The horizon search radar(C lam She l l ) was no t on d isp lay .Figure 1 shows the Flap Lid vehicle.
Big Bird Three-DimensionalSurvei l lance Radar
The mobile Big Bird on display,as shown in F igu res 2 and 3 , i s
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mounted on an eight-wheeled trail-er pul led by a large prime mover.The antenna is an S-band space-fed t ransmiss ion lens a r ray , fedf r o m b o t h s i d e s b y f e e d h o r n sm o u n t e d o n a b e a m p a s s i n gacross the top of the aftay. The ar-ray conta ins 3400 e lements andappears to fold for transport alongvertical lines parallel to the sides ofthe equ ipment she l te r . The e le -ments are matched to space withwhat appear to be e longated d i -electric bars that are tilted upwardsto optimize performance at anglesabove the horizontal.
The search beams, scann ingelectronical ly in elevation, lead thearray broadside by 30' in azimuth.W h e n a t a r g e t i s d e t e c t e d i n asearch beam, af ter a fur ther 29"rotat ion of the antenna, a back-scan is ini t iated in azimuth to placea validation beam on the elevationand azimuth of the init ial detection.l f the detection is repeated in thisval idation beam, another backscanoccurs 180" later in the scan, usingthe feed horn on the opposite sideof the array. Thus, wi th in 210' o frotat ion fol lowing the init ial detec-t i o n , a v a l i d a t i o n a n d a s e c o n dtrack point are obtained to init iatethe t rack f i le . From th is point on,the track data rate is two points perantenna rotat ion. The cost of thistwo-coordinate scanning array maybe higher than most Western sys-tems, but the advantages in rapidt rack in i t ia t ion and doubled datarate are significant.
Command PostWithin the Command Post (CP)
were f i ve d isp lay pos i t i ons , p lusposit ions for communications per-sonnel. The commander's consolew a s t h e c e n t e r o f t h e i i v e c o n -soles, which were almost identical.Each console had a large plan po-s i t i oner ind ica to r (PP l ) d i sp lay ingsynthet ic v ideo f rom the Big Bi rd
a n d f r o m e x t e r n a l s o u r c e s , a sshown in Figures 4 and 5. To theleft of the PPI is an alphanumericdisplay on which appear the datafor up to 36 targets. They are as-s igned (s ix each) to the s ix F lapLids that may be controlled by theCP. To the commander's left , thetwo positions are occupied by offi-cers who actual ly f i re the missi les.To the right are officers who coor-dinate with higher headquarters oradjacent CPs, who accept assign-ments of targets to be passed bythe commander to the Flap Lids inpr ior i ty order , and who evaluatet a r g e t s d e t e c t e d l o c a l l y b y B i gBird. The smal l d isp lays at thesepositions can be set to provide az-imuth -e leva t ion (BE) d isp lays o fBig Bird video, intensity modulatedto show target elevation. The BigBird data appear on the PPI d is-play as an intensif ied sweep, leav-ing behind target markers with al-p h a n u m e r i c t a g s , w h i c h a r e r e -freshed at a high rate.
Fire Control Radar S300PMU1(Flap Lid)
The Flap Lid radar tracks up tosix targets that have been assignedby the CP for engagement. The ar-ray is an X-band space-fed lens of10,000 elements, t i l ted 30' from thevert ical, as shown in Figures 6 and7. The active portion of the array iscircular, and small sidelobe cancel-er arrays are within the plastic cov-er at the bottom of the main array.The array is mounted on a rotat-able turret behind the cab of the ve-hicle and in front of the f ixed equip-ment shelter.
T h e R F a n d l F e q u i p m e n t i smounted within the turret, el iminat-ing rotary jo in ts and long runs ofwaveguide or coaxial cable for re-ceiver signals. The feed, shown in
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MICROWAVE JOURNAL . MAY 1994
